Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a higher node having a plurality of weak discriminators that have learned a learning sample of a first label and a learning sample of a second label that has a predetermined coordinate relationship with the learning sample of the first label, a first lower node having a plurality of weak discriminators that have learned the learning sample of the first label based on the discrimination result of the higher node and a second lower node that has no weak discriminator.

Abstract: An image transmission device and methods a transmitting device and method, a receiving device and method, and robot apparatus are capable of effectively transmitting the image data of multiple channels by using the existing systems which are formed on the premise of transmitting and receiving of the image data through single transmission line. At a transmitting side, the image data of multiple channels to be input is multiplexed with switching the channels by frame, and prescribed image information is added to each of the multiplexed image data of each frame. At a receiving side, the image information added to each of the image data for each frame respectively transmitted from the transmitting device are analyzed, and dividing device for dividing for each frame and outputting the multiplexed image data transmitted from the transmitting device to the corresponding channels is provided based on the analysis result.

Abstract: An image transmission device and method, a transmitting device and method, a receiving device and method, and robot apparatus are capable of effectively transmitting the image data of multiple channels by using the existing systems which are formed on the premise of transmitting and receiving of the image data through single transmission line. At a transmitting side, the image data of multiple channels to be input is multiplexed with switching the channels by frame, and prescribed image information is added to each of the multiplexed image data of each frame. At a receiving side, the image information added to each of the image data for each frame respectively transmitted from the transmitting are analyzed, and dividing for dividing for each frame and outputting the multiplexed image data transmitted from the transmitting to the corresponding channels is provided based on the analysis result.

Abstract: A robot device (1) has a central processing process (CPU) having a plurality of objects and adapted for carrying out control processing on the basis inter-object communication carried out between the objects, the central processing process controlling accesses by the plurality of objects to a shared memory shared by the plurality of objects and thus carrying out inter-object communication. Specifically, the central processing process generates pointers P11, P12, P13, P21, P22 in accordance with accesses by the objects to predetermined areas M1, M2 on a shared memory M, then measures the pointers by the corresponding number-of-reference measuring objects RO1, RO2, and controls the accesses in accordance with the number of pointers measured, thereby carrying out inter-object communication. This enables easy realization of smooth inter-process communication.

Abstract: A robot apparatus includes face includes a face tracking module (M2) for tracking a face in an image photographed by a CCD camera, a face detecting module (M1) for detecting face data of the face in the image photographed by the image pickup device, based on the face tracking information by the face tracking module (M2) and a face identification module (M3) for identifying a specified face based on the face data as detected by the face data detecting module (M1).

Abstract: A robot apparatus includes face includes a face tracking module (M2) for tracking a face in an image photographed by a CCD camera, a face detecting module (M1) for detecting face data of the face in the image photographed by the image pickup device, based on the face tracking information by the face tracking module (M2) and a face identification module (M3) for identifying a specified face based on the face data as detected by the face data detecting module (M1).

Abstract: In a robot apparatus and a control method therefor, firstly, partial or whole state space of a behavioral model is expanded or reduced, secondly, transition to a predetermined node in the behavioral model is described as transition to a virtual node and a node group to be allotted to the virtual node is sequentially changed, thirdly, the number of emotions and/or desires which are used for generating actions is gradually increased, and fourthly, an environment is evaluated to update each sensitivity corresponding to each emotion and desire, on the basis of the evaluated. In the robot apparatus and the character discriminating method for the robot apparatus, a pet robot is provided with: detecting means for detecting outputs from other pet robots; character discriminating means for discriminating characters of the pet robots on the basis of the result detected by the detecting means; and character changing means for changing the character on the basis of the result judged by the character discriminating means.

Abstract: An image transmission device and method, a transmitting device and method, a receiving device and method, and robot apparatus are capable effectively transmitting the image data of multiple channels by using the existing systems which are formed on the premise of transmitting and receiving of the image data through single transmission line. At a transmitting side, the image data of multiple channels to be input is multiplexed with switching the channels by frame, and prescribed image information is added to each of the multiplexed image data of each frame. At a receiving side, the image information added to each of the image data for each frame respectively transmitted from the transmitting device are analyzed, and dividing device for dividing for each frame and outputting the multiplexed image data transmitted from the transmitting device to the corresponding channels is provided based on the analysis result.

Abstract: A learning control apparatus for controlling a learning operation of an apparatus sensing a state of an environment and selecting a behavior based on the sensed content, includes a predictor for learning the behavior and a change in the state of the environment, and predicting a change in the state of the environment in response to a predetermined behavior, a goal state setting unit for setting a goal state in the behavior, a planner for planning a behavior sequence from a current state to the goal state set by the goal state setting unit based on a prediction of the predictor, and a controller for controlling the behavior in the behavior sequence planned by the planning unit and learning an input and output relationship in the behavior.

Abstract: A behavior control apparatus to control behavior of a device capable of sensing a state of an environment and selecting an action on the basis of a sensing result is provided. The behavior control apparatus includes a predicting unit configured to learn the action and change in the state of the environment and predict change in the state of the environment caused by a predetermined action on the basis of the learning; a planning unit configured to plan a behavior sequence to achieve a goal state from a present state on the basis of the prediction made by the predicting unit; and a control unit configured to control each action of the behavior sequence planed by the planning unit and learn an input/output relationship if the goal state is achieved through the action.

Abstract: A learning control apparatus for an autonomous agent including a functional module having a function of multiple inputs and multiple outputs, the function receiving at least one variable and outputting at least one value, includes an estimating unit for estimating a causal relationship of at least one variable, a grouping unit for grouping at least one variable into a variable group in accordance with the estimated causal relationship, a determining for determining a behavior variable corresponding to each of the variable groups, and a layering unit for layering, in accordance with the variable group and the behavior variable, the function corresponding to each variable group, the function receiving the variable grouped into the variable group and outputting the behavior variable.

Abstract: A plural number of letters or characters, inferred from the results of letter/character recognition of an image photographed by a CCD camera (20), a plural number of kana readings inferred from the letters or characters and the way of pronunciation corresponding to the kana readings are generated in an pronunciation information generating unit (150) and the plural readings obtained are matched to the pronunciation from the user acquired by a microphone (23) to specify one kana reading and the way of pronunciation (reading) from among the plural generated candidates.

Abstract: A main robot apparatus generates a sound scale command at a command generating state (ST2) to enter into a state of waiting for a reaction of a slave robot apparatus (ST3). When the slave robot apparatus outputs a emotion expressing sound responsive to a sound scale command issued by the main robot apparatus, the main robot apparatus recognizes this emotion expressing sound to output the same emotion expressing sound. In a state of the reaction action (ST4), the main robot apparatus selects an action (NumResponse), depending on the value of the variable NumResponse which has counted the number of times of the reactions to output the action.

Abstract: An image transmission device and method, a transmitting device and method, a receiving device and method, and robot apparatus are capable of effectively transmitting the image data of multiple channels by using the existing systems which are formed on the premise of transmitting and receiving of the image data through single transmission line. At a transmitting side, the image data of multiple channels to be input is multiplexed with switching the channels by frame, and prescribed image information is added to each of the multiplexed image data of each frame. At a receiving side, the image information added to each of the image data for each frame respectively transmitted from the transmitting means are analyzed, and dividing means for dividing for each frame and outputting the multiplexed image data transmitted from the transmitting means to the corresponding channels is provided based on the analysis result.

Abstract: In a robot apparatus and a control method therefor, firstly, partial or whole state space of a behavioral model is expanded or reduced, secondly, transition to a predetermined node in the behavioral model is described as transition to a virtual node and a node group to be allotted to the virtual node is sequentially changed, thirdly, the number of emotions and/or desires which are used for generating actions is gradually increased, and fourthly, an environment is evaluated to update each sensitivity corresponding to each emotion and desire, on the basis of the evaluated. In the robot apparatus and the character discriminating method for the robot apparatus, a pet robot is provided with: detecting means for detecting outputs from other pet robots; character discriminating means for discriminating characters of the pet robots on the basis of the result detected by the detecting means; and character changing means for changing the character on the basis of the result judged by the character discriminating means.

Abstract: An environment map building method and an environment map building apparatus can express the surrounding embodiment with a high resolution in the height direction in a manner robust relative to observation noises.

Abstract: An object detecting device 1 comprises a scaling section 3 for generating scaled images by scaling down a gradation image input from an image output section 2, a scanning section 4 for sequentially manipulating the scaled images and cutting out window images from them and a discriminator 5 for judging if each window image is an object or not. The discriminator 5 includes a plurality of weak discriminators that are learnt in a group by boosting and an adder for making a weighted majority decision from the outputs of the weak discriminators. Each of the weak discriminators outputs an estimate telling the likelihood of a window image to be an object or not by using the difference of the luminance values of two pixels. The discriminator 5 suspends the operation of computing estimates for a window image that is judged to be a non-object, using a threshold value that is learnt in advance.

Abstract: An image transmission device and method, a transmitting device and method, a receiving device and method, and robot apparatus are capable of effectively transmitting the image data of multiple channels by using the existing systems which are formed on the premise of transmitting and receiving of the image data through single transmission line. At a transmitting side, the image data of multiple channels to be input is multiplexed with switching the channels by frame, and prescribed image information is added to each of the multiplexed image data of each frame. At a receiving side, the image information added to each of the image data for each frame respectively transmitted from the transmitting means are analyzed, and dividing means for dividing for each frame and outputting the multiplexed image data transmitted from the transmitting means to the corresponding channels is provided based on the analysis result.

Abstract: An image transmission device and method, a transmitting device and method, a receiving device and method, and robot apparatus are capable of effectively transmitting the image data of multiple channels by using the existing systems which are formed on the premise of transmitting and receiving of the image data through single transmission line. At a transmitting side, the image data of multiple channels to be input is multiplexed with switching the channels by frame, and prescribed image information is added to each of the multiplexed image data of each frame. At a receiving side, the image information added to each of the image data for each frame respectively transmitted from the transmitting means are analyzed, and dividing means for dividing for each frame and outputting the multiplexed image data transmitted from the transmitting means to the corresponding channels is provided based on the analysis result.

Abstract: An image transmission device and method, a transmitting device and method, a receiving device and method, and robot apparatus are capable effectively transmitting the image data of multiple channels by using the existing systems which are formed on the premise of transmitting and receiving of the image data through single transmission line. At a transmitting side, the image data of multiple channels to be input is multiplexed with switching the channels by frame, and prescribed image information is added to each of the multiplexed image data of each frame. At a receiving side, the image information added to each of the image data for each frame respectively transmitted from the transmitting means are analyzed, and dividing means for dividing for each frame and outputting the multiplexed image data transmitted from the transmitting means to the corresponding channels is provided based on the analysis result.